Birmingham City vs Sheffield United

English League Cup Round 1 - Wednesday 13th August 2025 - 20:00 - St Andrews
Please keep all discussion related to the match within this thread.

Player Ratings:
Matchday Stats/Player Ratings - https://www.s24su.com/forum/match-day/match/birmingham-city-vs-sheffield-united.754/

Officials:

Referee: Gavin Ward
Assistants: Hugh Gilroy and Emily Carney
Fourth Official: Dean Whitestone

Coverage:

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[Thrice]

Bigger fish to fry this year, but this would've been a good opportunity to gain some confidence and some momentum.

It's abundantly clear though that this team needs defensive reinforcements.

 

[Pandev]

SIGN SOME PLAYERS.

 

[FredZeppelin]

Sign a couple of centre backs and we should have enough to stay up.

utb

 

[Sydney Blade]

I genuinely think Nick Montgomery’s red and white army would play with more panache.

 

[William Large]

I get that it’s the cup and we aren’t that bothered. I get that Selles wants to play some squad players.

However this was really not the game to do it. Live on ITV, against a team full of confidence, at a ground which albeit not full, was always going to be hostile and fully behind their team.

To play such a weak side, such a lack of experience was quite bizarre, particularly after Saturdays debacle. All it will do is smash the confidence of players like Curtis, Marsh, Sasnauska.

In reality there was no real game plan, we were second to every ball, passing and control were horrific all round. We were fortunate not to be on the end of another slapping tonight and as much as the result ‘doesn’t matter’ the wider context most certainly does.

Individual errors aren’t on Selles but the rest is.

 

[The Crab]

I know there were changes. But we were lacking even the basics of cohesion. Giving up possession like Rolf Harris gives up sweets. We were very very poor. We only kept in it because Birmingham players couldn’t finish a Sunday dinner.

This needs to be gripped or we are going to get some right butt-fuckings this season.

And the pigs have won.

Football, just fuck off will you

 

[Sharp_as_a_Blade]

1 shot on target playing chaos football is quite an achievement

 

[Hillsboro Blade]

Utter wank. Starting to feel disinterested already. I don’t know why but I just get a whiff of a club in free fall. Something is shit behind the scenes, love to know what it is.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

All of a sudden, turgid 1-0 wins under Wilder seem quite appealing.

Wilder never gave a shit about the League Cup.

 

[Stannington Blade]

That was horrible. Absolutely no desire to win a tackle. Ball in the air and three players looking at it on several occasions.
Zero ownership of decision making.
Zero passing options for the man on the ball.
I'm not even sure I could tell you the formation in the second half. Was less "fluid" and more "marbles in a bag".

I know it was a disjointed team and youngsters but jeeez that was painful. Oh well, at least we can focus on the league (and maybe the transfer market?).

 

[toledo]

That was really awful…. The only thing of note besides our putrid performance was Gus’s goal of the season and Soumare who did ok

I have no idea what the game
Plan was and individual performances were some of the worst I’ve ever seen for some time.

We had better understand how to correct this before it’s beyond us.

toledo

 

[harrry1990s]

Better second half. However still miles off it all

But still absolutely terrible

 

[skegblade]

Birmingham not actually not that good. We are making it look like that

Chances created should have been out of sight wr scored a world produced zilch
Gamer would be daft to stay under this bloke
Couldn't see a plan at all

 

[Jon Bon II]

Reasonable, seeing as we played the whole game with 10 men. Cannon is absolute gash. A waste of a shirt. Wilder has spunked some reyt money on absolute shite.

 

[Alex Cheeseright]

Well who saw that result? No one!! Thought it would have been a lot worse. That'll be Saturday. All my optimism has gone. Unless 5 or 6 players come in before the transfer window ends, we'll be fighting the pigs for 24th.

 

[AlienWoodward]

The players seem very disinterested.
I think they're struggling with a new manager and what he wants from them.
I didn't think Bristol or Brum were much good. We are a shadow of the team we were last season.
These new owners are possibly going to ruin the backbone of the club,we're heading right back to where we were when McCabe took over
I'm not sold on this manager either.
In 54 years of going to The Lane I think this is the most negative and depressed I've ever felt about United.

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Fookin hell are'nt we awful,no shape,no thought,no passion,no idea...and just one moment of magic to brighten the nite up.

 

[BangorBlade]

COH & Bettis support your manager !!!
Stop hanging him out to dry.

 

[WestYorksBlade]

yep... and the Media willfull blindness to this is all the more enraging

Honestly I’m fast falling out of love with it. Cheats like Forest and City get away with murder, the blatant favouritism of the media for their chosen darlings of the moment, the nauseating Americanisation of the English leagues

It’s just shite

 

[Champagneblade]

I know there were changes. But we were lacking even the basics of cohesion. Giving up possession like Rolf Harris gives up sweets. We were very very poor. We only kept in it because Birmingham players couldn’t finish a Sunday dinner.

This needs to be gripped or we are going to get some right butt-fuckings this season.

And the pigs have won.

Football, just fuck off will you

I can only think this is the manager not so subtly saying to the Board that this is what it looks like without the reinforcements.

Two out of their depth kids at right back and centre back for starters.

It was an awful draw. But having just got back into it with a worldy and a stronger XI than we started it shouldn’t have been too much to have got to pens.

Bindon has pretty much scored two own goals in two games. He’s either very unlucky or he’s not getting up to speed.

Fact is COH made a change and their new era has started with 2 defeats. They had better give him the tools to beat Swansea or they’re in for it very quickly.

We can’t piss away this season while they sit fucking about.

 

[Lower Drop Blade]

That was horrible. Absolutely no desire to win a tackle. Ball in the air and three players looking at it on several occasions.
Zero ownership of decision making.
Zero passing options for the man on the ball.
I'm not even sure I could tell you the formation in the second half. Was less "fluid" and more "marbles in a bag".

I know it was a disjointed team and youngsters but jeeez that was painful. Oh well, at least we can focus on the league (and maybe the transfer market?).

Zero Ownership.....is quite apt my friend

 

[Sharp_as_a_Blade]

Thought Selles was brought in to play attacking football? This stat is embarrassing

 

[Rufus Smalls]

Can’t remember seeing a worse defence or a lethargic team slow 2nd best to every ball reading of the game non existent

Your last point is spot on …….. reading of the game is a massive part of a good footballer’s attributes.

 

[Bobby b]

Apart from the goal we were rubbish, there was no press either high or low, the defence wasn't a defence, passes going astray, I was going to say Davies distribution was none existent, but nobody else were any better, Robinson knows how light we are in defence and he still tried his best to get sent off and banned, its going to be a tough season

 

[Cuypers]

It’s screamingly obvious that we need new players but I still can’t see what the plan, pattern or style of play is that we’re aiming for.
Gus’s goal though!!

 

[Stannington Blade]

Zero Ownership.....is quite apt my friend

I'll pretend I meant the double meaning and take the credit.

 

[JHaber]

Trying not to read too much into this and didn't really get chance to engage with the Bristol City game, or the aftermath, but sheesh. Too many changes make it hard to judge people like Marsh, who I have hopes for and would play very different surrounded by the first choice 9 outfield players. Though, rightly or wrongly, I do feel like I have already made my mind up on Cannon for his previous complete lack of contribution to a 90 point plus team. Biggest concern is the 'first teamers' that came on....I'm worried. Brooks and Bindon especially. Winger, RB, 2x CBs are a minimum, and a prayer that Campbell stays fit are needed.

 

[Rodley]

The players seem very disinterested.
I think they're struggling with a new manager and what he wants from them.
I didn't think Bristol or Brum were much good. We are a shadow of the team we were last season.
These new owners are possibly going to ruin the backbone of the club,we're heading right back to where we were when McCabe took over
I'm not sold on this manager either.
In 54 years of going to The Lane I think this is the most negative and depressed I've ever felt about United.

The most worrying thing is the body language of the players - looks awful across the board.

 

[Chimpan-A]

Remember when we were all excited because we signed this wonderkid full back from Ireland?? No AI involved either, but blimey he really isn’t up to this level at all.

 

[harrry1990s]

Worried.